Holocaust Poetry

While studying a unit on the Holocaust, students read the poem "To the Little Polish Boy Standing With His Arms Up" by Peter Fischl, and they studied the photograph that inspired the poem. They then wrote their own poems based on the same photo.

The Photograph - Deportation of Warsaw Ghetto, Poland

1st Period Poets

Little Boy In Hell

Matia Senyonga

A time of being lonely.
No one cares about you.
Because your family is killed.
You try to surrender,
And begging for your mercy.
You give up everything you have,
In order to survive.
You look quite stupid, hopeless,
And like a pauper.
You wonder why?
You cry and cry out loud for help,
However, no one comes.
The only thing you have to do,
Is to do whatever they say.


A Day of Nightmares

Stephanie Sanabria

Oh! Poor little Polish boy
standing in the middle of
nowhere wondering where
he's at.
He's living in a world
full of nightmares, wondering
what they are going to do next.
He is terrified, scared his
little heart beating fast, full of
fears.
I'm sorry they separated
you from your mom and family,
they have no idea that if you
survive you would be traumatized
for the rest of your life. Right now
your mind is empty, also is probably
whiter than chalk.
If I become a writer
I will write about the nightmare
you had gone through.


Madhey Sabtow

I would like to be a soldier
so I could defend the
minority of you, little Jewish
boy.

Standing with your little soldier
hat and with your short jacket
and the black socks

I could not separate
people from ethnic
to ethnic or religion
to religion.

I could make them equal
and treat them with a
humanitarian base.

I could not be as
you little boy, I would
suspect others when
ever they talk or say
something wrong or good.

I would think about it.
and ask myself why?
I would finally clear
whatever he thinks about it.

I could be sincere to others
as you little Jewish boy with
the black coat standing as a funny dog.


A Little Polish Boy

Oluwakemi Idowu

Little polish boy, crying for help
with a gun pointed at him. He looks
nice, but a danger in his eye.
The little Polish boy was so
scared that he couldn't talk,
and also he know that if he
does he will get shot. I hope
during this time period that I was
there, so I could be able to take
a picture of the little Polish boy
with his hand up. I'm taking
this picture for the world
to see, so they can rememeber
this day forever. Oh my head
all I can think of is the
sorrow you are going through.
Then I know that if I was
there I could help you by
advising you, stading by
your side to encourage you
to not give up.
Oh, oh little Polish boy with
danger in his eye, because of
the enemy.
Sorry, sorry
I hope I
could help
you with
all your problems
little Polish boy
with danger in his eye.


The Jewish Boy

Madina Ababulgu

Why have honest people's lives suffered?
Especially the poor Jewish people
They don't want deportation
They want to live with family
I think they want happiness
They need peace
Why does the Jewish boy have a gun pointed at him?
He doesn't deserve this
Where is humanity?
Where is love?
They're always crying for God to save their lives
But the way they cry like this
He wants to live without gunshot sounds
He wants some body to look after him
Show him the world
Grow up in good condition
The Jewish boy crying
He begged for his mother to save him
He thought him mother was always there for him
Where is a love?
But he makes his arm go up
Because he is afraid
The poor Jewish boy


The Little Polish Boy

Nho Pham

I would like to be a soldier

So I could liberate

the people in holocausts

I saw the images of misery

People run away horribly

others wanted to be tolerated

they fear to be killed by gun

The Nazis threatened the little Polish boy

by pointing a gun at him

All wore boots

The boy, boy standing with his arms raising

the women standing around

and watching the little Polish boy



Wilka Rodriguez

So much love.
So many beautiful words,
Such a joyful life.
But only the Nazis
had to ruin and destroy life
even their own family, oh what a heart.

So many things that need
to changebut the Nazis only think
so selfishly that they even kill
Jews, destroy them,
and took away everything
from them.
They even broke families.

So much love,
So many beautiful words,
Such a joyful life.
But only the Nazis had to ruin and destroy life
even their own family, oh what a heart.

Even though the Nazis have
no right to take them out
of their houses, the Jews
respectfully following orders
without arguing or resisting
the orders,
they were moved to where
ever they were sent.

The Nazis without heart,
only despair,
I don't know why,
everybody asking
what they had done
so bad, they even had to suffer their
families death, but the Jews
didn't know that
Nazi soldiers were the ones
suffering because they
had to kill everybody
even their own parents,
cousins, aunts, uncles, everybody!
But they couldn't do
anything to help them.

No family, no home, no dignity,
they don't have food, any jewels or
personal belongings, no nothing.
The only thing the
Jews had was sadness,
heart broken.

Oh why, would they treat
people, humans, like this?
What have they done
wrong?
Why do this to them?
When they only wanted a good and
normal life.
Only people without
HEART could possibly
have done this.

Oh, poor people.
they didn't deserve this.

So much love.
So many beautiful words,
Such a joyful life.
But only the Nazis
had to ruin and destroy life
even their own family, oh what a life.

4th Period Poets

The Newspaper with the Picture of the Little Boy Standing with His Arms Up, Afraid to be Shot

Louis Rios

I am not a
journalist,
but I would
write a thousand
newspapers to
let people know
how it might've
been for the little
Polish boy standing
with his arms up

probably scared
he might
get shot by
so many guns
and the first thing
that comes to mind
is to put his hands
up hoping they'll find out
he's harmless.


Innocent People Attacked by the Nazis

Juan G. Caraballo

Simple and humble people
they're injustly punished
suffering because they're Jews
they're injustly killed.

Having no idea for their punishment
they're injustly incarcerated
crying even though they don't deserve it
they're injustly suffering.

Crying when they're separated from their loved ones
crying when they're hungry
crying when they're thirsty
crying when the world is on top of them and they don't know why.


I Wish I Could

Layla Sheik

I wish I could stand there beside you
feel the fear that you're going through

I wish I could wipe the tears in your
eyes
try my best to hold you tight

I wish I could whisper in your ears
"Everything will be alright"
hold you close until the moon
comes up at night

I wish I could put you to sleep
happily
read you a bed time story that will
leave you sleeping peacefully


I Want to Have Peace

Elizabeth Garcia

I was so sad.
I stood in the middle of the street.
I didn't know what to do.
I said to my mom, "I love you" for
the last time.

Everybody is crying and that makes
me feel bad.
I don't want to see people crying
every minute.
I just want to have peace
I believe that some day my people
are gonna have the freedom that I
don't have now.
I hope the Nazis leave every person
free to live their life like every other person does.


To the Policeman Standing like a Snowman

Anguei D. Masham

Since no one seems to be your advisor, well, I'll
be, because people seem to be
scared of your long nose look

I see why people don't touch
you? because of your sensitivity Mr.
Snowman, you're like a worship thing
for them
Wake up Mr. Lucky, the sun
is out! I'm just warning you so
that you don't melt!

You see before the winter time
no one ever thinks of you or even
has an image of you

Now's the winter time, you had just
appeared and got people all packed in front
of your cold weather, begging you for
forgiveness without thinking of their health!

Some of them
hoping for another
season to come
for you!

Like a summer
time so watch
out for the sun
Mr. Snowman!

I had a desire
for unjust
laws to
come
for
you!


To the Soldiers with Guns Pointing at the Jews

Samson William

If only you would know what
you are doing and what you are
doing it for, do you care about
them, well it doesn't look like
you care by pointing guns
at them. Imagine if it was
your family that was being forced
out of their houses with everything
they could grab. I know that you
don't know why you are doing it, is
it because Hitler can kill you
and he has control over you, but
all I can tell is, if you help them,
Hitler will be defeated and don't
just stand there like you don't know
we are all one people and one nation.


The Poor Mother Having a Hard Time

Fartun Abdi

Poor mother, I would like you
to be the richest person in
the world.

But, standing with your
hand rising, with your children
and the Nazi who's looking
at you like a bad person makes
me feel sad.

I wish you would be
a queen one day with a
lot of jewelry and
money so that you would
just forget everything
that happened to you when
you were having a hard time
because of the Nazis.


A Little Polish Boy

Sitra Gatur

A little Polish boy, with his hands in the air.
Uncomfortably standing and crying for help
But none paid any attention to his tears
His mother stood next to him full of fears
Praying to God to save her little boy
His life shouldn't be destroyed.

A little Polish boy, wearing father's hat and
Coat, freezing and shaking from the cold
Like a frozen statue, he stood in the first
Row waiting for the gun to explode to
Blow his dreams away. And steal from
Him night and day.

Oh little Polish boy, oh little Polish boy
I wish I could help your innocent soul
Wherever you are, let angels be with
You. That is what your destiny brought
To you in a young age, you last your life
And I only ask why did you have to die,
Why?


My Own Life

Waldemar Viera

Life is really hard
Life is really strong
If you would be here
right now you would
know what I'm going
through
I'm scared, scared of my
life, my people, why,
why did it have to be
this way? God, oh god
please help! Not me
but my people
Life is really hard life
is really strong the only
one who knows that is God.


My Son

Anthony Caba

I was standing in Poland in the
ghetto and I thought I lost my son
but I saw him in the line where all
the people were,
I was the happiest
person on Earth when I
saw my son, he was
lost, did not know
where he was at
he was crying, then
I grabbed him and told him
that I love him and promised
that I will never leave him
again.



To All the People who Suffered in the Holocaust

Kariam Figueroa

I'm sorry
I am sorry to all the kids and people
who were in the Holocaust
I know what you people went
through, all the suffering you people went through
It makes me feel sad
for just look at you people in a photo
My soul gets sad really sad
sometimes it makes me cry
and while I'm crying
I ask myself,
Why did they do that?
What kind of heart have they got to do such
a thing like that?
One thing that gets my sould really sad
is seeing the kids in a photo crying
while some of them are looking for their
parents
I'm sorry
I am sorry to all the kids and people
who were in the Holocaust.


The Little Polish Boy

Eduardo Vargas

My own life
Their own life
Our own life
Why, why should we be
afraid when I've got God
Why are people just standing
there and not doing anything
for us why aren't you doing anything?
My own life
Their own life
Our own life
Why, why should they be afraid
when they have God
My own life
Their own life
Our own life
Why, why should they be afraid
when they have God
My own life
Their own life
Why, why should we be afraid
when we've got God.

To the Boy with his Arms Up

Aleksandra Kajzaz

I wish I could have helped you

I wish someone did something to stop this

I wish people were more understanding

I wish that war doesn't exist.

Kids like you are innocent

And didn't deserve for this to happen

I wish the guns were not pointed at kids

I wish nobody got this started

I don't think it was fair

For kids like you to get killed.

I wish somebody paid attention

To what was really happening.

I Want to be Someone and I'm not Scared

Bekim Avid

I see a little boy holding his
hands up, and I see officers pointing
their guns at the little boy and
lots of people around him and his
mom telling him "move out of the
way son!" The boy does not want to
stay in the ghetto he wants to
be someone so everyone will know
him, and put a big poster with a
picture with me in it, so everyone
would se me, he said.


To the Little Polish Boy

Abdirizak Abdi

I wish I could come up with an idea that
will help you, little Polish boy with your
hands up in the air surrounded by the Nazis
pointing a gun at you in the middle of many other
people. I wish I was there for you, put my
hand around you, wipe tears from you eyes when
ever you cry.

I would like to be an artist, so I could make a
painting of you, little Polish boy with the small
hat on your head, the star of David on
your coat standing in a camp controlled by
the Nazi people. I would point a flash
light at you or take a microphone and announce
you little Polish boy so that the whole
universe can see you, hear you, and remember
you being treated miserably.

I would write many books about you or sing
songs of you to the world
who ignore you or say nothing when they hear
about you. For those who don't see you I would
make a painting so bright that it will
make you blind.

You little Polish boy with a small hat on
your head, the star of David on your coat, I would
blast the eardrums of those who heard
nothing. I am very sad that you are
treated like this and it happened to you not me.

8th Period Poets

The Little Jewish Boy Standing with his Family, Arms Up

Maryan Salim

I do not want
to die with
my family
together
looking at
the Nazi
army with
their guns

looking up with
our hands up
trying to stop
the Nazi army
with their guns

do not shoot
me I will do
everything you
want looking
at my family
standing with
my hands up
in the air

telling my family
out looking every
place looking at the
world is very dark seeing
the death coming
to us looking at
the Nazi with our
hands up

trying to stop
the Nazi and
save them from
the death
looking at the
Nazi army
standing in front
of us with their guns


Make Me Live

Hassan Hussein

I want to live on earth
To stay with my family
To be happy and enjoy my life
I want to live with freedom
To live with happiness
I don't want to be alone
To make my heart broken
Oh Lord, make me live

I survive the Holocaust
The Nazi armies make me scared
They put my life in chains
They separate my family
Oh Lord, make me live

We were a big community
Hitler made us few
He doesn't want us to live on the earth
To be part of it with the others
Oh Lord, send us an angel
To make us live together

I put my hands up
To pray for you
Oh Lord accept my prayer
and make me live


Jamal Khulagi

Little Polish boy
I'm so sad for you

I feel your pain from
the bottom of my heart

with my eyes sweating
like a rain in the night

Little Polish boy

Sometimes I feel angry
at the way they treated you

I'm strong, I feel like I want
to fight for you

Little Polish boy


To the Little Polish Boy Standing With his Arms Up

Adnan Ahmed

My dream is to be an artist
to create a beautiful painting
Of you little Polish boy

Standing with your beautiful
Hat on your head
with your heart challening
The nazi machine guns
By moving step by step
with your arms holding up

From all the people around
You
You will be the chosen one
The one who will make the
World see

See a picture from your past
That will never be forgotten
A picture that will last
Forever

A picture that looks like a
Key for heaven
For you little Polish boy
That will never be forgotten

A picture that is being
Threatened
By the Nazi machine guns
Pointing at you
Little Polish boy

A little Plish boy standing
along
screaming for help but
nobody is home

I am wishing and wishing
for my dream to become
true

To create a picture of you
a picture that will last
Forever

A little Polish boy standing
alone
screaming for help but
nobody is home
But my picture of you
little Polish boy will bring
Everybody home

Saying lets go little Polish
boy
You are free from hanging
On to the tree

And lets get out of the
Ghetto straight up
to home


Soldiers Standing Behind Me

Mokhtar Nasser

I am the little boy standing up with
my little hat. I am standing with my family
my mother my father and brothers and sisters.
The soldiers are pushing us and our hands
are up in the air like a good similie.
Machine guns pointing at us. We were all
scared.


The Little Boy with his Hands Up

Zeina Fandi

The boy with fear in his eyes
Looking arounds, no where to hide or to go.
He is stuck between thoughts and fear:
"What will happen to me?"

Why wasn't anybody there to take his place?
Why wasn't there anybody there to say
this is wrong?
The boy with his hands up, who
doesn't even understand the world.
Why doesn't anybody see this as
wrong?
When the little boy's hands were up
it was the sign of surrender!
What could that little boy have done?
Nothing!!
The little boy with hands up, no where
to go or hide.

The little boy with his hands up was
caught in the death trap.


This next poem was written in response to the scene in Night where the little pipel, the young boy who looked like a sad-eyed angel, was hanged in front of the people at the Buna concentration camp.

Unknown Angel

Maryan Salim

Passion's strength
like waves at
sea I hear you
whispering out
to me

Do not fear for
me I am here
because of you
I want to help
you to do what
you want to
be

I will catch your
every tear whispering
out to me

I am the calm
throughout the
wild commotion
hearing tears
whispering out
to me

I am the fury of
love's devotion
coming to you

I am the one who
guards your heart
and everything
you are doing
hearing tears
whispering out
to me

I am the angel
in the dark
looking at you
hearing the
tears whispering
out to me